Altman laments a couple of coaches who got fired

It's that time of the year when coaches get the word they're out of work, even if they've been successful. A couple of the recent firings were Tubby Smith at Minnesota and Ben Howland at UCLA, two coaches very familiar to Oregon coach Dana Altman.

"I’m really disappointed for both of them. They’re two good men," Altman said.

His connections with Smith go back to 1982, Altman said, "a long time. I feel really bad for him. I’ve gotten to know Ben over course of the last three years and I have a great deal of respect for him."

Both Smith and Howland have averaged over 20 wins during their tenure at the schools that axed them. They met in the NCAA Tournament on Friday night.

But more was expected of both of them.

"They won’t have any trouble finding a job," Altman said. "We’re in a profession where if the university changes their mind … we’re all big boys. We’re well paid and if they make a decision to go in a different direction, that’s their decision."

Bob Clark is a veteran sports reporter who has covered local and national events for more than 30 years.